Eric Bana Shines in Netflix’s Gripping New Mystery Series ‘Untamed’

Netflix has a new hit on its hands, and it’s not your average crime drama. Untamed, a six-episode limited series set in the remote wilds of Yosemite National Park, is a chilling and emotional journey through secrets, survival, and the darker sides of human nature. Leading the story is Eric Bana, playing the intense and complex investigator Kyle Turner. His performance alone makes the series worth watching.

Written by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, Untamed takes a familiar genre and flips it by putting the crime in the middle of a national park. The isolation, the raw beauty, and the danger of the landscape add a new layer to the investigation.

What’s the story behind ‘Untamed’?

It all begins with a shocking fall off El Capitan, Yosemite’s famous granite monolith. Two climbers are ascending the rock when a woman’s body suddenly drops down past them, nearly sending them over the edge too. What initially appears to be a tragic accident soon becomes a much deeper mystery.

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Special Agent Kyle Turner, part of the Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service, is called in to take over. From the start, it’s clear Turner has a different approach. He’s blunt, guarded, and doesn’t play nice with the local rangers. But he notices things others miss.

He quickly determines that the woman, referred to as Jane Doe #1711, was dead before the fall. She didn’t slip — she was killed and possibly hunted. This theory opens up a web of questions about who she was, what she was doing in the park, and who would want her dead.

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Turner is paired with rookie ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), who becomes his unlikely partner. Though Turner would rather work alone, Vasquez proves herself valuable. The two form a tense but growing respect for each other as the case unfolds.

Who is Kyle Turner really?

Turner isn’t just solving a case. He’s carrying his own emotional weight. Haunted by the collapse of his marriage and past traumas, he is a man holding himself together by focus and work. He has a complicated but cordial friendship with Chief Ranger Paul Souter (played by Sam Neill), and an unexpectedly caring relationship with his ex-wife Jill, played by Rosemarie DeWitt.

As Turner digs into the woman’s identity and what happened to her, his own past begins to catch up with him. It becomes clear that this case is as much about redemption as it is about justice.

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What makes ‘Untamed’ different from other crime dramas?

There are dozens of detective shows out there. What sets Untamed apart is the setting and the atmosphere. The natural beauty of Yosemite isn’t just background — it’s part of the story. The quiet, the danger, the wildlife, and the sense of being truly alone all shape the tone of the series.

The story also touches on Indigenous traditions, unsolved cases, and buried secrets that have lingered in the park for years. Each character comes with their own layers, and even the supporting roles are given space to grow.

Vasquez, for instance, is new to the park and still figuring out her place. She’s also a single mom who keeps her personal life under wraps. But in the wilderness, nothing stays hidden forever.

Untamed blends suspense with emotional storytelling. It asks not only what happened to Jane Doe, but also what drives people to act the way they do — especially when pushed to the edge.

Now streaming on Netflix, Untamed is a smart, emotionally rich thriller that feels fresh and raw. Eric Bana leads with power and subtlety, supported by a strong cast and a story that keeps pulling you deeper into the forest.